The Lost Pirate
by LeonFilioski
Summary: My name is Leon Filioski, I am one hundred and ten years old, Yes I know I am old, as if time could go slower, and I am a Tiefling, part demon, and throughout my travels it never seems to let me forget... This is the most recent of my memories..
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

He stood tall at the prow of the boat staring long and hard at his distant prey. They were gaining on the small merchant vessel, it had been that way for the past few days, traveling down the Sword Coast, even with the ships resident wizard helping they had seemed to be gaining no ground until now. The other ship was close enough that the imposing pirate lord, even with out the aid of his spyglass, could see the many figures running haphazardly across the far away ship. Still staring directly at the distant ship, the pirate yelled, "Man your posts and ready for boarding!"

With a large rowdy cheer from his crew and an exasperated sigh from the wizard they all went scrambling to their posts.

As the massive galley closed in on the small merchant ship they raised their colors, a blue crescent moon with a blood red sword crossing through the middle, and a wicked grin spread across the pirate captain's face. He knowingly he understood that the fear the small crew of his most recent prey must be feeling, knowing that their ship is being hunted by the infamous pirate captain of the Sword Coast… Leon Filioski.

The galley, The Flayer, was now close enough that its crew could hear the panicked orders of the other ship's captain, which caused the pirate and his crew to cheer even louder at the prospect of loot and the spilling of blood.

"Prepare for boarding you lazy scoundrels!" Leon yelled and the crew let of a series of "Ayes" and then came the audible scrape of steel on steel as weapons were drawn and readied.

Grinning and laughing, the tiefling thought of the sums of plunder and blood to come from this one ship, he could feel his anxiety and excitement growing with the closer the two ships came to each other, but something else lurking deep within himself, what was it regret or fear? Either way, Leon knew that if he disregarded it, it would soon dissipate with the coming fight.

By now the ships were parallel with each other; grappling hooks were thrown over to hold the smaller vessel close to the imposing larger one, four gang planks were lowered, latching on the smaller ship like claws from a tiger. To everyone's surprise instead of the crew rushing over first, Leon himself leaped across the gap between the two ships drawing both of his glowing blades, eager for blood and the fight.

Striking down two sailors in quick succession, He dispatched them with quick ease and rushed eagerly towards his next victim, his crew quickly came charging over weapons drawn engaging the smaller crew in combat, while a few bolts of lightning were sent lazily from the Flayers' wizard. Leon swung his sword in a rhythmic pattern up, down, left and right in a dizzying blur that even the most skilled sailors aboard the ship couldn't dare to stand against.

Just as Leon killed his latest victim, a huge commotion near the aft part of the merchant ship caused him to look up and see a large and powerful looking man with a sword nearly as large as Leon was tall, a pile of Leon's crew dead at his feet, and one ready to be haplessly killed.

Leon came sprinting forward bring both swords to bear and even as the heavy great sword came crashing down ready to slice the pirate in two, Leon managed to bring his enchanted blades up in an X barely managing to stop the bone shearing blow and saving the poor pirate.

Using the brutes' blade's weight Leon slid his feet under him and pushed off, sliding under the behemoth of a man's legs, slicing the man just below the kneecaps as he slid between his legs. The behemoth fell, shaking the boat and all those around, on the other ship the Flayer's wizard launched a bolt of lightning through the merchant boats hull, causing a sudden explosion in the lower deck. Leon looked up suddenly, realizing what had happened as he put everything together. The boat they were on was a spice ship and that the first explosion was the beginning of a much larger one but too late, one moment there was a ship and the next Leon was in the water with rubble and fire raining around him. One moment there was fire and the next nothing…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

As he woke agonizing pain shot through his entire torso, suddenly realizing that he wasn't on a beach or still floating in the sea, his eyes shot wide open, causing his head to go spinning. He found himself in a small room; he was lying on a cot with a side table next to him with and on it nice vase with flowers in it.

He tried to get up but even more pain made him wince and fall back onto the cot. Just as he fell back the door at the back of the room opened and a slender elf walked in with a small tray of fruit and tea, she had deep blue eyes and waist long golden hair. She walked with an air of certainty in her step and a confidence that would make a dwarf proud, along with all of those qualities, Leon noted, she was stunningly beautiful.

"Oh your alive I see," She remarked, tossing her golden hair behind her, "Nasty injury you seem to have acquired, found you half alive and bleeding like a stuck fish out on the beach."

She eyed him with a scrutinizing gaze "You never seem to find tieflings around these parts; your kind is quite rare really."

Leon replied, wincing in pain, "Yes, We do seem to be few in number, although I didn't seem to catch your name"

She flashed him a slight grin, "My name is Taliea, and yours would be?"

"Mine is Leon… Filioski"

"Leon Filioski? As in the dread pirate captain Leon? The ruthless killer of innocent babes and helpless women" She said in a playful sarcastic air.

"Well some of those titles are not justly given," A slight scowl forming on his face.

Suddenly she grins widely at him, causing him to look questioningly at her.

"What?" He asked, still grinning she replied, "Oh, I think you're not so bad."

"What do you mean by "Not so bad"?"

"You just don't seem the type to go around sinking ships and killing innocents."

He sighs, she does have a point he thought, it's not like I took that life style by choice.

"I guess you have a point, but tieflings aren't known for their kindness or righteousness," He finally said after a moment's consideration.

"That is true," She replied setting the tray on the small side table and taking an apple off of the tray and munching on it.

After a moments silence, Taliea broke it by inquiring, "What do you plan to do after you're healed?"

Leon looks at her for a while and asks, "Why do you want to know?"

She shrugs and replies smiling slightly, "Curiosity I guess"

After a moments consideration Leon replied, somewhat hesitantly, "I am not really sure what I am going to do, my ship is destroyed, my crew gone or dead and me injured beyond movement… I am puzzled as to what I intend to do next."

"Well you look like you need about a weeks more rest before you are recovered to the point where you can actually get up, until then think on it," She said smiling, as she got up and went to leave the room but paused as Leon said, "Where are my swords?" She gestured to the base of the bed where two ornate hilts of his katana's were peaking over the edge, "There, I am surprised that you held on to them, I almost had to break your fingers to get them away from you, they must be of great value," with that said she left the room.

He considered her words, he will think about it, he decided, but after he rested a little.

Four weeks later, it was a cool summer morning when he awoke, slowly getting up and stretching, testing the limits of his injury. He put on his overcoat and walked to the door opening it feeling the cool ocean breeze wash over him. That was a feeling that he had missed, and slowly walked out, and despite his slight limp, the crisp morning air for the first time in a few weeks felt great he thought and just in time to catch the sunrise. As he scanned his surroundings he spotted Taliea sitting on a large flat rock facing the sunrise with her back to him.

When he was directly behind her only a few feet away she suddenly said, "Don't you enjoy the sunrise, this is my favorite spot, in the mornings every day when the sun comes up."

"Yes, occasionally enjoy watching the sunrise when I get the chance"

Taliea turns her head and looks back at Leon, "You seem to be in good health now?"

"Indeed, almost good as new," he replied looking back and flexing his arm then flinching.

"Ok good now you are fit to work off your debt to me," She said smiling back widely.

"My debt of what may I ask?" He asked.

"Me saving your life of course," She replied still smiling.

"And what, pray tell, did you have in mind?" To be honest he was curious to see what she had in mind.

"Well, I do have to do some traveling to do in a day or two to Luskan and Waterdeep," She answered.

"So I am assuming you want a guide?" Leon asked.

"Not so much a guide as protection, the roads are quite dangerous with bandits and monsters and all dire perils," Taliea said smiling widely.

He sat down besides her staring out to the sunrise, and then replied "Alright, I'll protect you on your travels, when do we leave?"

She then grinned widely and replied, "In two days."

Two days of rest later, Leon was up bright and early before Taliea, anxious and somewhat eager for the road ahead. As he was sitting there looking out over the sea and the sunrise, he mulled over the past few weeks. Going from ruthless pirate lord to hapless and injured in debt to an elf, and now about to embark on a trip and guard the very elf who had saved him from a very sad and miserable end, he shrugged to himself and thought, it could be worse.

As he thought to himself, he failed to notice the stealthy Taliea sneaking up behind him and silently sat down next to him staring out into the distance.

"You packed and ready?" She asked quietly.

"Yep, just waiting on you," He replied, hardly shaken from her sudden appearance.

"Alright then," She said standing up, swinging a light backpack and bow over her shoulder and a long sword strapped to her hip, "Off we go."

Leon threw his backpack over his shoulder and they both started off north toward the city of Luskan on the Sword Coast.

After an hours worth of walking and almost complete silence Leon asked "What business do you have in Luskan, and even Waterdeep for that matter isn't that a long ways from home?"

She replied without looking back at him, "Luskan isn't that far away, just a few days walk, all I need there are some supplies and the like."

"And Waterdeep?" He insisted.

"My uncle, one of the lords of Waterdeep, has insisted that I come and stay for a few days, and I didn't want to be the only one there. " She said looking back at Leon and grinning.

"So you just wanted some company when you went to visit your uncles?" Leon stated more than asked.

"Yeah for the most part," She replied.

They traveled all day taking the road, finding it far safer than through Neverwinter Wood, though walking the road was by far more boring and longer, and they camped just within the Neverwinter Wood setting up a simple camp and on to a slow and uneventful summer night, they awoke to warm morning and started back on the trail without delay. The traveling was quite with the exception of Taliea's chatter. Leon just listened as Taliea talked. Eventually, as dusk came, they decided to make camp with Luskan just over the horizon they decided to camp for the night and get there in the morning. As Leon set up the tent Taliea heated up roasted venison from her pack. After Leon finished with the tent, she handed him a large piece of the meat and a silence fell over the two of them.

The silence that ensued went on for a few minutes when Taliea suddenly asked "What made you become a pirate? I mean you didn't just wake up one day and all of a sudden decide to be a pirate and ravage the coast, did you?."

Leon didn't reply, even after they were done eating and retired for bed. Leon volunteered for the first watch that night and didn't sleep at all, he let Taliea sleep, and despite all he did to get it out of his mind he couldn't get his mind of the question she asked him.

As Leon considered the question he reminisced over his past back to the time before he started killing, before the piracy and before that fateful day all those years ago…

Five weeks, five long, cold weeks, spent out on the Sword Coast traveling from one harbor to another, at times stopping in major cities like Luskan and Neverwinter, trading here and there with this and that. This was such the life of a merchant family, traveling up and down the coast trading usable goods for other goods and coin; this was all he knew, well for the last twelve years at least. since he was picked up by the ships captain as hired help, the humans were kind enough to provide him with food and lodging despite his heritage. They seemed, to him, the kindest people in the world taking into consideration his wants and needs when they make port and allow him some time on shore as well, it was great, he thought, this is the life.

One day, however, as they were pulling into Luskan the captain of the ship, Captain Marlo, took Leon aside and told him, "Son, now I want you to keep a sharp eye out, this is after all Luskan. Not one of the most reputable cities if you can catch my drift, well anyways if you do go ashore be careful and watch your back, we will be leaving at midday tomorrow."

Leon replied, "Yes sir," And as he turned around to take his leave Marlo grabbed his shoulder and stuck a wide brimmed hat on his head.

Leon turned around and stared at him, he shrugged "You never know you might need it," he said with a wink.

As soon as Leon stepped on shore he headed to the nearest tavern to take in the local nighttime life, he picked a decent looking tavern with not as many broken windows from bar fights as usual. He sat down at the far end of the bar with his back to the wall giving him a full view of the entire tavern, he wasn't expecting trouble and he was armed with his two swords, but its better to be prepared for anything, he thought; he ordered a drink and sat enjoying the noise of the people around him. After a while, and a few drinks of the local mead, he started to nod off.

He woke up to the tavern keeper shaking him awake, Leon just nodded got up and shook the sleep from him, as the tavern keeper walked around behind the bar and continued washing mugs with the same dirty rag. As Leon was rubbing his eyes, the realization suddenly hit him that he was supposed to be back at the ship, he started to run for the door only pausing to toss the tavern keeper a gold piece for his time and continued on through the door down the street to the docks, barely noticing the massive plume of smoke coming from that area.

Leon came to the docks and stopped dead in his tracks, his ship was aflame along with many others in the harbor and a large galley heading out of the harbor with pirate colors flying high. Leon then rushed to his ship and burst into the captains' quarters only to find, Captain Marlo, his wife and two children brutally murdered. As sadness and regret welled up inside him he also felt a hint of anger and remorse for not being there to protect them and the fact that someone would do something like this to people like these, With the ship coming down around him he ran out barely managing to make it out of the captains cabin before it collapsed leaving the dead captain and his family buried in a fiery tomb, Leon then rushed out to one of the smaller row boats on the docks and jumped in rowing towards the huge galley leaving the harbor, hoping to at least get a little revenge against the people who did this.

He came up against the side of the huge galley, by pure luck or divine intervention, either way he would still extract some vengeance upon the captain of this ship. Leon stealthily climbed up a loose hanging rope and managed to avoid the two pirate guards standing near the railing, he then climbed sideways across the railing towards the captains' quarters. As he neared the outside windows to the captains' quarters he noticed the captain sitting at a very well carved desk writing on parchment and looking over many maps and facing away from the window, Leon, being as careful as he can, edged around the outside of the windows until he was directly behind him. Before he could stop himself he drew one of his swords and shattered the window, jumping in and drawing the other glittering sword.

The captain, both stunned and alarmed at the same time drew a glowing rapier and knocked over his chair putting a little room between him and his attacker.

As the chair fell Leon leaped over it bringing one sword slashing in from the top and the other in a sideways sweep. Both well placed attacks were picked off instantly by the glittering rapier, which in turn countered with a lunge. Leon brought up his swords and blocked it easily then Leon went on the offensive bringing both swords to bear in a dizzying dance of parries, stabs, and counter attacks, hoping to overwhelm his obviously skilled opponent.

The captain used his rapier skillfully picking off each stab and thrust and managing to counter a few times, the captain then twisted his blade around one of Leon's locking them together and then disarming him sending his sword flying across the room. Leon lunged at him suddenly throwing the captain off guard, making him block at an awkward angle then running off to his lost sword grabbing it and going into a spin putting him face to face with the captain again who stalked forward, like a predator hunting his prey, moving in slowly sending experimental stabs and slashes at Leon's defense. Leon, now on the defensive, blocked with one sword readied high and the other low using that combination with expert precision parrying and countering every thrust and stab.

He suddenly rushed Leon, working his rapier fast and quick scoring a few stinging slashes but nothing fatal, Leon worked hard to keep the deadly rapier from skewering him, the captain lunged straight for Leon's heart, Leon took his chance he blocked with his left sword rolling along the blade onto the captains' causing him to fall off balance and then brought his right handed sword around and thrust it straight through his heart.


End file.
